You must register to vote by October 22 to vote in SD this election

Election Day 2014 is fast approaching (although some would say not fast enough!). On November 4 the general election will be underway. In order to participate on that day it is imperative that people are actually registered to vote. The deadline for voter registration in South Dakota is 15 days before the election, which this year falls on October 20th! Any new voter registrations must be received by “any county auditor or any local, state, or federal agency responsible for conducting voter registration” before 5pm on Monday October 20 (SDCL §§ 12-4-5).

Department of Human Services offices which provide assistance to the disabled

Military recruitment offices

Personally I would recommend anyone that needs to register do so at their county auditors office. But, if you do have to use another office on the list I would NOT mail it in. The registration is due at 5pm on Monday. There is too little time between now and Monday to ensure receipt of any mailed registration card on time.

I would also urge anyone that has not voted in years to check with the SD Voter Information Portal (VIP). The voter registration lists get purged of inactive voters from time to time. It is possible that someone who hasn’t voted in years could no longer be registered. It is also important to check VIP if you have moved at all to ensure your address is correct. If the address is not correct, there is still time to get a new voter registration card submitted. While on VIP, you will be able to see a sample of your ballot. VIP is one of the things Gant did good as Secretary of State.

Finally, I would not just urge people to register and vote. Instead I would urge people to vote informed! Take some time to research the candidates and ballot issues. There is always the option to not vote for any particular race or ballot question. Any empty blank is much better for the whole democratic voting process than a vote with no reason.